Phone Upgrades

Where have prices been doubled, link?

 

If you can't afford a measly $18 increase then perhaps AppleLand is not the place for you. Bashing AT&T is quite fashionable by many who live & breathe iToyz but it's time to get over it.

Remember AT&T was brought into the fold by the hero worshipers God, Steve Jobs. The last thing you want to do is upset the hero worshipers.

 

I agree that relative to the price of the phone and the money paid over a 2-year contract, $36 isn't much (about 1.5%). Also, if someone doesn't like AT&T and their policies, they should be telling AT&T (either directly or by taking their business elsewhere), and not just whining/venting on forums.

That being said, just because this is true shouldn't mean that carriers should price gouge just for the sake of being greedy. (Especially with revenue of $36 billion in 1 quarter-Q2 2012, and highest ever wireless margin of more than 30%.)

It's "fashionable" to bash AT&T b/c they make it so easy by screwing over loyal customers again, and again, and again.

 

Believe me I'm not arguing with you, nor do I advocate for AT&T.

But the simple fact is they're no different than Apple, they make money.

Only in AppleLand, where hypocrisy reins supreme, is it fashionable to Bash AT&T for doing what is essentially the same thing Apple does.

I used to get great satisfaction advocating for Apple, year after year. I've converted a massive number of past windows users into Mac users until the iToyz era when Apple became this giant polarizing company. Bent on profits over their original priorities of both great products & great business.

Today they've got great business perfected if judged only by the sky high pile of money they've accumulated. However I maintain they could still have both, and one more...

1) Great Products
2) Great Business
3) Worlds Greatest Company

Return to the class act they once were, by not holding back purely for sake of profit taking.

While many will argue they're already the worlds greatest company, I disagree.

I _know_ Apple, and what they're truly capable of. If they would stop this ego driven assault on other companies, refocus _all_ their energy on the positive, the possibilities are even higher than many could grasp.

But to fall back on the worn out excuse "look at our record setting sales" is a very weak response. Money worship is highly overrated.

It most certainly couldn't save Steve Jobs... (R.I.P.)

 

Is $36 a lot of money? No. Is it complete bull $!$@? You but you butt it is. Your paying $70+ a month for service and $200+ for the phone. Why do they need another $36 to activate it? Your monthly service already pays for the salaries of a employees selling you the phone. I certainly do not believe that the electricity and computing power it takes to make your new phone active on the network costs $36. It's a fluff BS profit fee pure and simple. Fleecing the American consumer is a cooperate pastime and it will continue for many years to come.

It's not just AT&T so I'm not directing it to them. If memory serves VZW and Sprints fees are very similar.

 

For me, I won't pay it, if they make me, its simple, I won't stay with them, and I wont get the new phone. I will either switch to a carrier that is not going to nickel and dime me like that. And... they won't charge you if it means keeping your business. Being out of contract does give us an advantage, if we use it, which I will.

 

All well put. I almost entirely agree.

 

AT&T will adjust things to keep your business. They gave me a $50 credit for next month because I told a representative I was going to be considering my options for carriers when the next iPhone launched.

 

I also think its a BS charge.
Im signing a 2 year contract and on top of that you charge me $36 for doing nothing besides me plugging my iphone to itunes and activating it.
Even though I never paid that fee it sucks they still try to charge you. Every time I call them they easily take it off but I know they dont always do it for everyone.

 

I'm sorry, but Apple has never charged me $36 just to have the right to give them $2,000 for an iMac.

Let me know when that happens and I'll agree with you.

 

You are right. Instead of charging you $1,950 for that imac, and a $36 upgrade fee, they just charge you $2,000 in the first place.

All in the smoke and mirrors.

Bottom line. You do not have to upgrade. You can keep the phone you have or leave.

 

Order it online and you can even do the iTunes activation yourself an still pay the fee.

Chances are your going to be paying them at your next carrier too, when you sign that new contract. It's just like the crazy ETF's, once one does they will all jump on the train.

 

Exactly.
I did order it online and plugged it in and still got the activation fee.
Doesnt make much sense but I guess whatever makes more revenue to the carriers.
We're all here to make them billions.

 

Yes, exactly my point. That's 100x better and, as you point out, they still make their profit. So it's really disappointing to see a company like AT&T not get that.